Iran Press/Iran news: The statement also called on the security forces to identify and arrest all those who have been involved in rioting and destruction of public and private property, also calling on the courts and the judiciary to deal with those who have been arrested according to the letter of the law.
The statement backed the recent remarks by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and called for careful management of the petrol price rise in such a way that there is no knock-on effect and inflation and prices of essential everyday items are kept in check, Iran Press reported.
The statement reiterated that a few opportunistic rioters and thugs are using the legitimate peaceful protests of ordinary people to damage public and private property and commit illegal acts of violence and vandalism, causing insecurity in society. The statement stressed that ordinary peaceful protesters in no way support such unruly and unlawful actions.
Protests erupted in a number of Iranian cities in recent days after a decision by authorities to ration gasoline and substantially increase the fuel price as part of efforts to blunt the effects of US sanctions on the country's economy.
The demonstrations turned violent in some cities, with reports of clashes between security forces and certain elements, who vandalized public property and, on several occasions, opened fire on the crowd.
There have been reports of fatalities among both security forces and civilians amid the unrest that followed the protests. 101/211
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